Telefone (mixtape)

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Telefone
Mixtape by
Noname
ReleasedJuly 31, 2016 (2016-07-31)
Recorded2016
Genre
Length33:13
Producer
Noname chronology
Telefone
(2016) 		Room 25
(2018)

Telefone is the debut mixtape by American rapper Noname. Originally announced in 2012, the mixtape faced numerous delays and was finally released four years later on July 31, 2016, as a free digital download. It features guest appearances from Saba, Ravyn Lenae, Raury, and Smino among others.

The mixtape was met with universal acclaim.[1] Pitchfork ranked opening track "Yesterday" as the 37th best track of 2016.[2]

Background[edit]

Noname, then performing under the stage name Noname Gypsy, announced to fans in 2012 that her debut project would be titled Telefone.[3] Noname first gained attention through her guest feature on the song "Lost" by Chance the Rapper from his second mixtape Acid Rap (2013). In July 2013, Hypebeast reported that Noname's debut mixtape Telefone was "due out soon"[4] and Fact reported in August 2013 that the mixtape was "set to drop any day now".[5] In January 2014, Noname stated that her first project Telefone would be either an extended play or mixtape, depending on if she could afford to pay for mixing.[6]

However, 2014 and most of 2015 passed with no new information on Telefone. Noname made reference to her fans anxiously awaiting the frequently-delayed project on Mick Jenkins' "Comfortable" from the mixtape The Waters, rapping "Noname on the comeup, Telefone never coming out, what's the hold up? / Where you been at? Where the print at?"[7] Noname was nicknamed the "Jay Electronica of Chicago" for managing to stay relevant despite only releasing music sporadically.[8][9][10]

On January 17, 2016, Noname released the song "All I Need" onto SoundCloud, featuring Xavier Omär (originally released under his previous stage name SPZRKT).[11] On April 4, 2016, Noname shared the song "Freedom Interlude", produced by Saba and Phoelix.[12] In June 2016, Noname moved to Los Angeles to finalize Telefone with Saba, Phoelix, and Cam O'bi. The group used two Airbnb rentals to house makeshift studios.[10] That same month, Noname shared on Twitter that Telefone would be released in late July and feature twelve tracks.[9][13]

Artwork and title[edit]

In a June 2015 interview, Noname was asked about the title Telefone. She responded:[14]

I named it Telefone because I like the idea of what it means to be on the phone with someone for the very first time and all its little intricate idiosyncrasies. From the awkwardness to the laughter or various intimate conversations you can have over the phone, I want my project to be very conversational. I want people to feel like they’re on the phone with me, getting to know me better than a text message or a tweet.

The artwork for Telefone was painted by Nikko Washington, the art director for Chicago collective SaveMoney. Washington had previously done the cover art for Noname's tracks "All I Need" and "Freedom Interlude", but had never hand-painted a cover before. Noname asked Washington to make the cover depict the balancing act of life and death. Washington kept with this request, and painted a child as "a reflection of a young African-American child in this world right now. I tried to make her represent Noname, but not be her."[10]

Release and reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.7/10[15]
Metacritic84/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
The 4057.5/10[16]
The A.V. ClubA−[17]
Consequence of SoundB+[18]
DIY[19]
Flood Magazine8/10[20]
The Guardian[21]
Pitchfork8.0/10[22]
Rolling Stone[23]

Telefone was released to rave reviews from fans and critics. The Guardian called it "nostalgic, intricate coming-of-age hip-hop."[21] Pitchfork called it a "stunning debut" and gave the song "Diddy Bop" their "Best New Track" honor, with Jayson Greene writing:

"Diddy Bop" is luxurious and easy and warm, a reminiscence about good times, or better ones. Her voice is in a playful and confident middle range between forestalling, singing, and slam poetry, and her lyrics carve out enough details to fill the song with an entire imagined cast of characters—jealous boyfriends griping at girls in love with Raz-B from B2K; kids nabbing twenties from their mom's purse..."[24]

Rolling Stone called the mixtape "some of 2016's most thought-provoking hip-hop."[23] Stereogum wrote that on Noname possessed "a potency and urgency in her complicated, spoken word-esque cadences and subdued delivery that escapes many of her more animated peers."[25] Consequence of Sound concluded that "the louder her music is played, the brighter her cadence glows, giving her lyrics a type of 3D craft that makes Telefone a diary of lessons too relevant to keep to yourself."

"Diddy Bop" featuring Raury and Cam O'bi was Beats 1's World Record on August 8, 2016.[26]

Accolades[edit]

Publication Accolade Year Rank Ref.
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
36
[27]
Noisey The 100 Best Albums of 2016 2016
91
[28]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
27
[29]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
28
[30]
The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
29
[31]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Fatimah Warner. Additional writing on track 10 by theMIND

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Yesterday"
3:09
2."Sunny Duet" (with theMIND)
2:42
3."Diddy Bop" (featuring Raury and Cam O'bi)
  • Phoelix
  • Cam O'bi
3:28
4."All I Need" (featuring Xavier Omär)
  • Saba
  • Phoelix
  • THEMpeople
4:00
5."Reality Check" (featuring Eryn Allen Kane and Akenya)
  • Cam O'bi
  • Phoelix[a]
3:03
6."Freedom Interlude"
  • Saba
  • Phoelix
3:19
7."Casket Pretty"
  • Saba
  • Phoelix
1:50
8."Forever" (featuring Ravyn Lenae and Joseph Chilliams)
  • Saba
  • Phoelix
3:38
9."Bye Bye Baby"
  • Cam O'bi
  • Phoelix
2:49
10."Shadow Man" (featuring Saba, Smino and Phoelix)
  • Cam O'bi
  • Phoelix[a]
5:11
Total length:33:13

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • "All I Need" contains uncredited vocals by Phoelix and L-Boog

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from Noname's SoundCloud.[32]

  • Noname – lead vocals, songwriting (all tracks)
  • Cam O'bi – executive producer, additional vocals (track 10)
  • Phoelix – executive producer, additional vocals (tracks 1–2)
  • Akenya – additional vocals (track 1)
  • Cameron Boswell – audio engineering for Eryn Allen Kane (track 5)
  • Nick Breton – audio recording (all tracks)
  • Elton "L10mixedit" Chueng – mixing, mastering (all tracks)
  • Ralph Gene – drums (track 10)
  • Saba – additional songwriting (track 10)
  • Ron Spraggins – audio engineering for Akenya (track 5)
  • theMIND – additional vocals (tracks 1, 10), additional lyrics (track 10)
  • Nikko Washington – artwork

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Reviews for Telefone [Mixtape] by Noname". Metacritic. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  2. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2016". Pitchfork. December 12, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  3. ^ Weinstein, Max. "Noname Releases Debut Project 'Telefone' - XXL". XXL Mag.
  4. ^ Amani Mrutu (25 July 2013). "NoName Gypsy - Baby". Hypebeast. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  5. ^ Chal Ravens (10 August 2013). "Free Agents: Noname Gypsy". Fact. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  6. ^ Sam Haywood (4 January 2014). "[Feature] Noname Gypsy: Humble Beginnings". JENESIS Magazine. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  7. ^ Yoh Phillips (6 October 2015). "Don't Forget About NoName Gypsy, She's Trying". DJ Booth. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  8. ^ Ben Niespodziany (21 January 2016). "Why Noname Gypsy is Chicago's Jay Electronica". These Days. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  9. ^ a b Yoh Phillips (23 June 2016). "NoName's Album is Finally on the Way (Hopefully)". DJ Booth. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  10. ^ a b c Alex Siber (4 October 2016). "The Making of Noname's 'Telefone'". Pigeons & Planes. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  11. ^ Eric Montanez (17 January 2016). "NoName Gypsy • "All I Need" (ft. SPZRKT)". These Days. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  12. ^ Ben Dandridge-Lemco (4 April 2016). "Noname Shares "Freedom Interlude"". The Fader. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Noname Says End of July Is a Good Time for 'Telefone'". XXL. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  14. ^ Breon Jones (25 June 2015). "The Way I See It: NoName". Greenroom Magazine. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Telefone by Noname reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  16. ^ Samba, Mugoli (August 8, 2016). "Noname – Telefone". The 405. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  17. ^ Ray-Harrias, Ashley (August 3, 2016). "Noname makes black girl magic on Telefone". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  18. ^ Ramirez, Ashley Alejandra (July 31, 2016). "Noname – Telefone". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  19. ^ Johnson, Eugenie (August 3, 2016). "Noname – Telefone". DIY. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  20. ^ Hurst, Josh (August 12, 2016). "Noname, "Telefone"". Flood Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  21. ^ a b Gibsone, Harriet (December 22, 2016). "Noname: Telefone review – nostalgic, intricate coming-of-age hip-hop". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  22. ^ Daramola, Israel (August 8, 2016). "Noname: Telefone". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  23. ^ a b Levy, Joe (September 6, 2016). "Noname's 'Telefone' Is Truth-Telling Hip-Hop Sunshine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  24. ^ Greene, Jayson (October 14, 2016). "Noname: "Diddy Bop"". Pitchfork. Retrieved Aug 4, 2016.
  25. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2016". Stereogum. 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2017-10-14.
  26. ^ "Noname on Twitter: Tune in on @Beats1 at 11 CST @W1lko will be playing Diddy Bop as a WORLD RECORD". Twitter. August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  27. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2016". Consequence of Sound. November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  28. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2016". Noisey. December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  29. ^ "The Best Albums of 2016". Pitchfork Media. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  30. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Stereogum. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  31. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2016". The Skinny. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  32. ^ Siber, Alex (August 1, 2016). "Noname's Debut Mixtape 'Telefone' Is a Stunning Blend of Innocence and Stark Realism". Pigeons and Planes. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
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